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| Jesus in Gethsemene prayed for deliverance |
In the Gospel according to Mark, a so-called leper begs Jesus to restore him to good health. This man was isolated in society … rejected. And yet, he chooses to risk yet another rejection by approaching Jesus. And Jesus, “moved with pity,” heals him.
Sometimes our prayers are answered. But often, they’re not. We may pray and we sense silence. We may even feel like giving up on God; or we may start thinking negatively about ourselves.
Let us pray not to succumb to negative feelings, but to rise above them by reflecting on certain faith themes:
1. Let’s re-examine our image of God. The bible offers a collage. God is a walking companion in Genesis, a passionate debater in Job, an anxious parent and a comforting mother in Isaiah, a prodigal father in the Gospels. Yes, God is our ever-faithful companion in life.
2. Imagine if all our prayers were answered. Aesop told a fable of a dog who found a bone and pranced happily homeward. Passing a pond, he saw a dog with a similar bone. Lurching forward to steal it, the dog’s own bone fell into the water. The other dog was only his reflection. The point: unchecked greed can result in losing everything. Bernie Madoff was a case in point. Sometimes in our prayers there’s too much of ourselves and not enough of God and our fellow humans.
3. Remember God’s providence and care for us in the past. Like a skilled pickpocket, God is present in many different ways and we don’t know except by the evidence afterward. He may seem absent, but our faith says he’s with us always.
4. You can be angry, but don’t stay angry. Elie Wiesel described a concentration camp inmate who said: I shake my fist at God; it’s my way of saying God exists. But we ultimately have to let go of our anger. Remember the prayer: God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.
5. Know that you are in good company. Many others have known the silence of God. Jesus prayed for deliverance. The point is: keep praying. For God is God. God’s ultimate purpose is to satisfy our deepest longings with eternal life.
The great 16th century saint Teresa of Avila, declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Paul VI, gives us this perspective:
“Let nothing disturb you;
Let nothing dismay you;
all things pass;
God never changes;
Patience gains everything;
they who have God
lack nothing:
God alone suffices.”
